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Santa Clara University School of Law Celebrates Diversity

The seventh annual Diversity Gala was held Nov. 3 to celebrate diversity in the legal profession. The event was hosted by Santa Clara Law and the Law Career Services Office. Several law firms and businesses sponsored the event including Townsend & Townsend & Crew LLP, Intel Corporation, and title sponsor Cooley LLP.

Dean of Santa Clara Law, Donald Polden, gave the opening speech at the event. Dean Polden talked about the law school’s commitment to enhancing diversity at Santa Clara Law as well as within the legal profession. Partner and Chief Operating Officer of Cooley LLP, Mark Pitchford, also addressed the attendees. Mr. Pitchford acknowledged that recruiting and developing a diverse team was essential to a large, successful law practice.

Diversity Gala Committee Chairman, David Tsai, introduced to the audience a video that captured the history of diversity at Santa Clara Law as told by faculty and alumni. Participants included Professor Gerald Uelmen, Professor Margalynne Armstrong, Santa Clara County Assistant District Attorney Rolanda Pierre-Dixon, and Tsai.

Several awards were handed out during the event. The Santa Clara Law Social Justice and Human Rights Awards were given to two Bay Area attorneys in recognition of their contributions to the legal profession in furthering the interests of minority groups. The award recipients were Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Edward Davila and Oracle’s General Counsel Dorian Daley. The Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Scholarships were also awarded during the event. The scholarship was created to honor and encourage first-year law students who have a commitment to eliminating discrimination based on ethnic or gender factors. Scholarship recipients were Eugene Lee, Antonio Raymo, and Hieu M. Tran.